


Winter Skies

by Imagine28



Series: Crusade for the Crown [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Gen, Knights - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-13 10:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12981972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imagine28/pseuds/Imagine28
Summary: The Grand Army of the Crowned Kingdom has been sent by their king to the far away Province of Mandalore. The Ashla is not what it was, and sometimes, Sir Obi-Wan Kenobi wishes things were different.





	Winter Skies

**Author's Note:**

> So I was inspired by art and a video and if I knew the ways of hyperlinks I'd link them. I'll figure it out. But basically, Obi-Wan and Anakin are legitimate knights. And this is the start of a war.

Satine Kryze had barely stepped out the wooden tub of her hot bath, small droplets sliding softly down her body and dripping from her blonde hair in the steamy, dark room when one of her maidens, her sister, came barging into the bathing room with the groan of the heavy oak door, apologizing all the while.

"Duchess, forgive me, but the people have called themselves to arms outside the city walls." The Duchess's sister took in a breath as if afraid of delivering the next sentence. "They are facing the Crown's Army."

"What's the army doing here, Bo?" Satine asked with a heavy frown as she dried herself off with a robe, seemingly unbothered at the sudden intrusion. "We've no quarrel with their Crowned Kingdom."

"No, my sister. It seems they were summoned by you, or by someone using your name." Bo-Katan closed the door behind her and moved to help Satine rub most of the water out of her hair and then stuff her into her court dress, cinching the corset closed and tying the lace up her back.

"That's absurd! I hadn't been to the Crowned City before it was overtaken. And I haven't even spoken to the Seats in years! Much less now that they are in Coruscant, under that Dark King." Satine huffed and then held her breath as her sister finished tying the back of her teal and purple court dress, her mind busy with angry memories and future bloody possibilities. "Where are they meeting now, this army?"

"That's just it, sister. The army is camped outside the city walls, maybe they arrived overnight.. The people of the city raided the weapons' house and some of the castle's Knights have helped them arm themselves with what they could find. They'll be dealt with, of course." Bo-Katan stepped away, grabbing the Mandalorian headdress and handing it to Satine. "Perhaps an envoy, Duchess, and this battle could be stopped before it even begins."

The naming of her title deliberate, Satine pursed her lips as she took on the weight of the headdress, a deliberate weight she knew, to remind a monarch of their duty. She knew that her sister did not share the same ideals as herself when it came to the keeping of the peace. Bo-Katan loved to be a fearless warrior and was the prime reason and influence in Satine's allowance of Knights in her city and swords in each Mandalorian's home. Well, that and the constant danger of raids from the Jovlins.

Thus, taking her sister's hand in her own, Satine knew Bo desired to be that envoy and perhaps even desired to be placed in harm's way, maybe not yet eager for a fight but eager to keep Satine well away from one. But that Satine would not allow, and after giving Bo's hand a gentle squeeze, hardened her gaze with determination while Bo bit the inside of her cheek in angry defeat, seeing the denial of her desires in Satine's blue gaze.

"We've no time to waste then, my sister. Let's go!" The Duchess turned and led the way out of the bathing room, calling for her mare and standard-bearer as she hurried down the stone stairs to the main room of her fortress of a home. Bo rushed after her and when they made it to the outside courtyard, yelled for the rest of Satine's guards to get their spears and swords and accompany her, making sure the armor she wore was well adjusted in case she needed to protect her sister.

Satine Kryze had seen war in her youth. She knew it was ravaging through the Provinces further east after the taking of the Crowned City, and knew that Coruscant was the origin city of the orders given to the four generals of their army. She would not let war take her home Province if it was the last thing she did. The Seats of the Crown, their cursed Dark King and his "crowned" army could go plant fields for all she cared. Mandalore would not go to war.

Outside the walled capital city of the Province of Mandalore, the Grand Army of the Crown was settling down after riding through the winter's frozen wild grass. Their journey had been cloudy and cold, and many of the army's soldiers had grumbled along quietly. Only the large battalion's Generals and their loyal commanders had refrained from complaining. Now one of the Generals, with light auburn hair and a nicely trimmed, short beard adorning his handsome face, sat inside his hastily erected tent. He quietly rubbed his anxious golden mastiff's ears, concerned at feeling the Ashla expectant and unforgiving.

Sometimes the General wished the Ashla were more powerful around them and in their lives, instead of only giving them miniscule hints of emotion and slow warnings. He knew there had been a time, when the kingdom had had many Ashla-wielding Knights that had been able to manipulate it, use it to influence minds, use it to understand minds and intentions, wield it like a very fine sword as easily as breathing.

Now, however, only two Knights remained, hardly able to touch and influence the Ashla; it had become a weak and slow ancient power. At the same time, he thought as his mastiff Tripio whined, he thanked the Ashla for alerting him of the approach of other beings, like for example that his faithful commander was nearing his not-so-warm tent. The flap of the tent's entrance rustled and a cold breeze chilled his cheeks.

"Sir Kenobi?"

"Yes, Cody, has your scout returned?"

"Yes, General."

"Good. Anakin should hear what the scout has said as well." Kenobi sighed and stood, the fitted black, silver studded armor feeling heavy on his shoulders, like a broken promise desperately trying to drag him down for bringing the war to Mandalore. He ignored the feeling and nudged Tripio aside to reach for his belt and long, cobalt tinted sword, buckling the belt around the tight waist of his dark trousers and strapping his sword in.

Cody was clapped on the arm as his general walked out to the cold again, and he followed, Tripio walking beside him with a wagging tail. Kenobi was a good General and an excellent Knight, and the Commander watched him trade small nods to the men and women serving under him amiably as he made his way through columns of tents and milling war dogs like Tripio and Ertoo.

The other General of this company, slightly taller and darkly handsome, was Knight Anakin Skywalker, who was walking towards them with his own commander and twin brother to Cody, Rex. Rex had blond hair that helped differentiate him from his brother, as Cody had dark hair and a jagged scar that ran down from his left temple and around his eye. Ertoo, a grayish almost blue wolfhound, trotted behind them with a lolling tongue.

"Sir Skywalker." Cody saluted once they had met halfway, his right fist over his heart.

"Commander Cody, Obi-Wan." Anakin nodded at their approach. "What do the scouts say?"

"They're just a peasant army, Sirs," Cody said dismissively. "And it would seem this army was never taught how to fight. Some of them don't know how to properly wear chainmail."

"Some of them aren't even wearing chainmail, Sirs," Rex incredulously added, disbelief lacing his words.

"Yes, well, the Duchess of this Province believes in peace, even if her city is walled. She has a couple of Knights in her service out of sheer obligation." Obi-Wan crossed his arms with a pensive frown. "I think it unwise to underestimate these peasants. Mandalorians are warriors since before the Crowned Kingdom existed. They have a long history of blood and war. I know that the Knights of time passed had waged war against Mandalorians, and it wasn't always that they won. Even the most powerful of Ashla trained Knights wrote of their difficulties here."

"What does the Ashla tell you now?" Anakin asked as he combed the longer hair that he let grow only down the very middle of his head with his fingers.

Obi-Wan shook his head bemusedly. ". . . Almost hesitant. I don't sense any evil from the people, just. . . desperation. But it always feels that way in these Provinces."

"The Jovlins take much from the people here," Anakin spoke, his voice going quiet.

Obi-Wan placed a hand on his shoulder, his eyes soft, willing the dark blanket of memories to fall away. "Indeed."

The two brother commanders waited quietly, looking away to give them some privacy but at ease with the care their two Generals often demonstrated to each other. They straightened when Obi-Wan let his hand drop and faced them.

"The Duchess Kryze of Mandalore is under our protection, and if we are fortunate, we are under hers as well. She is at the head of an independent Province, though very often in need of our kingdom, and the Seats sometimes resent her for remaining apart. We need the fighters she has but first, we are here to prevent any danger from getting close to her and her city. She will most likely try to dissuade us personally from entering the city and her peasant army from attacking us, so be on the lookout for her standard. If we fight, I want you to get her out of here. Drag her to safety if you must." His eyes were focused and stern now, mimicking the hushed blue of an ocean before a storm.

"These peasant fighters are obviously not happy with our presence," Anakin added. "If they think she sent for us, we'll have to protect her from them, too. But we can't kill any of them."

"If any of her soldiers are killed by one of ours, we're finished. She will not speak with us; according to old Mandalorian law, we will be shunned. Whatever it is dissidents to the Crown are doing here, we were sent to keep the Duchess in power and safe. That is the only way she will consider aiding us. And so that leaves us as infantry today, everyone will be on foot. If we go in as cavalry, we will too easily overwhelm them with the horses." Obi-Wan finished briefing the brother commanders.

"Well, Cody, Rex." Anakin straightened and nodded at them. "Get everyone ready. If we fight, signal only the first third. We're too many. And if you see my squire, send her my way."

"Yes, Sir!" The two brothers saluted with fists over their hearts and turned around to walk away, their voices identical and yet impossibly distinct as they roused the camp for battle readiness.

"So what's our move, Obi-Wan? The king left this campaign to the Seats and you know them better than I do. What will they allow us to do now that they've sent us here?" Anakin placed a gloved hand on Obi-Wan's arm, his blue eyes bright again and reflecting the white clouds that hid snow in the skies.

Obi-Wan leaned into his hand through his armor, using it and the Ashla to center himself amidst the yells and clanging of metal plating that was properly placed armor and chainmail of the weary camp. "We march. And if they meet us in battle, then... It will be short and brutal."

He moved, leading Anakin to their stallions with Tripio and Ertoo barking excitedly at each other. Anakin's was a powerful black that answered to Twilight, his own an equally vigorous red dun called Negotiante. As the two Generals swung up into their saddles simultaneously, Cody and Rex led the now organized rows of thousands of soldiers towards the city's stone walls.

"Ashla willing, our numbers alone will be enough to make them turn back," Obi-Wan continued as the horses trotted towards the head of their company and the dogs whined, expectantly looking up at Anakin and Obi-Wan, anxious themselves for battle.

"And if they're not cowed, Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked bitterly once they were leading at the front of their army. His horse tossed his head and laid his dark ears flat against his mane. "The Ashla damned Jovlins will scourge their corpses, and us as well."

"Now, now, Anakin. It won't come to that." Obi-Wan's voice turned placating, reassuring, and in the Ashla he felt Anakin's anxiety dissipate as smoothly as the thick fog of dawn slowly lifting away in the morning light.

They were still well away from the stone wall when Obi-Wan raised a fist and gave the signal to halt. His horse pranced in place beneath him, and Anakin frowned when they saw the roughly thrown together crowd of beings before them. A short line of teal clad Knights stood spread out at the front, spears and lances in their gloved grips. Behind them, rows of armored sentients at their backs, dissidents. They were foolish for standing against the Crowned Kingdom. They were a large army considering it was just one city. But they stood no chance against the Great Army of the Crown.

"Are you sure this is just a peasant army, Cody?" Obi-Wan asked with a dangerous smirk. But before his commander could answer, a regal voice cut through the icy air.

"I demand all to stand down!"

**Author's Note:**

> So... Yea? Nay? Tell me what you think. Comments are love.


End file.
